Humanists on the Move: Employment Patterns for Humanities Ph.D.s

摘要

The purpose of the report was to probe both the circumstances surrounding the growing level of field mobility among humanities doctorate recipients and the effects that mobility may have had on the current career status of these humanities professionals. In line with this task, three groups of variables were analyzed: (1) demographic characteristics of the 'field-mobile' versus the 'field-stable' population that help to describe those individuals likely to be employed in a field other than their field of degree; (2) employment variables that help to assess both how and what the field-mobile doctorates are doing in their out-of-field positions; and (3) additional investments made by those working out of field as an index of their effort to increase their employment success. Results of these analyses indicated respectively that (1) while no difference was noted between men and women nor between whites and minorities, younger doctorates were more likely than their older counterparts to be working outside their fields; (2) while there were some differences in employment factors between the field-mobile and the field-stable doctorates, those working out of field appeared to be faring quite well; and (3) those employed out of field were more likely than those employed in field either to have obtained job-related training or to have pursued an additional degree(s) beyond the doctorate.